Defense Minister Barak: 'In Ran, Current Rioting Has Not Yet Reached Breaking Point With Regime But It Has Potential For Escalating Swiftly'

'Painful Failing Of Free World To Show Sufficient Support For Iranian Dissidents Against Regime'

Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak has criticized the Free World for not lending sufficient support for Iranian dissidents in their confrontation with their country's dictatorial regime. In a closed door briefing to the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee, Barak assessed current developments against the Iranian government's drive to acquire nuclear weapons and Analyst David Essing says these issues are intertwined from Israel's perspective. The Defense Minister also sized up other threats to the Jewish state such as failing to reach an agreement on separation from the West Bank Palestinians.

Shabak Security Chief Diskin: 'Today There Are Two Palestinian Peoples - One In Judea & Samaria (West Bank), The Other In Gaza!'

'Hard Core Of Several Dozen Jewish Terrorists Could Attack Israel's Political Leaders If Government Decides To Evacuate Settlements'

It took Israeli security forces just over twenty-four hours to track down and kill three Palestinian terrorists who murdered Israeli settler Meir Avshalom Hai on the West Bank Thursday night. Acting on intelligence from the Shabak Secret Service, two IDF units located the terrorists holed up in three separate buildings in the town of Nablus. They were called upon to surrender and when they refused, the soldiers stormed the buildings. One of the three, was discovered in a secret hiding place with two M-16 automatic rifles and ammunition. Analyst David Essing assesses the latest developments that come against the backdrop of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange for hundreds of Palestinian terrorists and some rare comments made by Shabak chief Yuval Diskin.

After months of fruitless
dialogue, this week's expose by the London Times about an Iranian
nuclear 'trigger' and the launching of a new long range Iranian
missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead indicated that Iran may
be closer to developing a nuclear weapon than previously suspected.
Analyst David Essing assesses these latest developments from the
Israeli perspective and what Israelis think about U.S. President Barack
Obama and their own country's leadership at this crucial time.

This week, Israel officially revealed that Iran now has sufficient enriched uranium for proceeding with the production of at least one atomic bomb. The disclosure came from Brig.Gen. Yossi Bidatz, the commander of the research department in the IDF Intelligence Branch. However, the intelligence officer told the Knesset Foreign affairs & Defense Committee there is still no evidence the Iranian regime has defied the international community and taken the decision to go nuclear. At the same time, the Iranians have developed missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. Also addressing the closed door hearing, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stated: ' Israel's paramount security concern is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons'. Analyst David Essing assesses some of the key issues in Israel over the past seven days.

Confrontation May Prove To Be Test Case On On Settlement Issue For Israeli Public

'Clash of Civilizations' Reaches Switzerland & Saudi Arabia

Israeli settlers in Judea & Samaria (West Bank) are defying the Israeli government's ten month housing freeze. In several incidents, the residents have prevented housing inspectors from entering their communities to serve the building freeze orders. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has tried to allay the settlers' fury by stressing that Israeli construction will be resumed after the ten month 'suspension' and that 3,000 current housing units will be completed. IsraCast assessment: Israel is now bracing for a showdown between settlers and their former champion, right-wing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. In other developments this week, are there new manifestations of the 'clash of civilizations' in Europe and even in the Middle East?

Israeli Leader's 'Constructive Ambiguity' Designed To Placate U.S. While Urging Palestinians To Return To Peace Talks

Although Blasted By Settlers For Capitulating To U.S., Netanyahu Enjoys Cabinet Support

In a dramatic diplomatic development, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has announced a ten-month suspension of housing permits for building in West Bank settlements. At the same time, Netanyahu made clear that housing construction would continue in Jerusalem's suburbs such as Gilo, which were constructed beyond the 1967 line after the Six Day War of 1967. In the existing West Bank settlements, public buildings such as schools, kindergartens and synagogues will continue as well as the completing of 3,000 housing units now underway. Analyst David Essing is of the view that Netanyahu's ambiguous approach on settlement construction may prove to impact as much on Israel's confrontation with Iran as it does on the Palestinians.

President Peres: 'No Doubt Gilo Falls Under Israeli Sovereignty ... There Have Always Been Differences Between U.S. & Israel Over Jerusalem, But Israel Has Always Continued Peace talks With Palestinians'

At week's end, speculation again swirled around the possibility that a German mediator may be closing a long awaited prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas - captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in return for hundreds of Palestinian terrorists. Meanwhile, the Israeli decision to build 900 housing units in the Jerusalem neighborhood Gilo, after Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu agreed to U.S. President Barack Obama's demand for a settlement freeze on the West Bank, is a new source of friction. But while these events were dominating the headlines, Iran for the umpteenth time, declared it would not concede on enriching uranium. Obama warned of 'consequences'. Meanwhile it was reported that while Israeli pilots were to undergo a refresher course to cope with the mental stress in attacking long range targets.

The Iranian nuclear threat was obviously high on the agenda of US President Barack Obama and Israel's Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu when they met in the White House this week. So far, nothing has leaked about what they discussed. However according to the respected Al-Hayat newspaper, published in London, 'informed sources' have said Netanyahu told Sarkozy that Israel did not rule out a military strike against Iran. The French leader stressed the need of pursuing with the current diplomatic effort that has failed to dissuade to halt its uranium enrichment program. Meanwhile, in the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee, the IDF Chief Of Staff, Gen. Ashkenazi made some telling remarks that illuminate the nuclear double bind that confronts Israel at this juncture.

Chaim Azriel Weizmann was a chemist, a Zionist leader, President of the World Zionist Organization and the first President of the State of Israel. He was elected on February 1, 1949, and served until 1952. Weizmann founded the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.

Almost daily this week, there were dramatic developments in Israel's counter-terror campaign. At the center, what Israeli experts call the 'Iranian octopus' of terrorist activities - the Israeli seizure at sea of an innocent- looking merchant ship, the Francop, with a cargo of hundreds tons of weapons and explosives plying its course to Syria and then on to Hezballah in south Lebanon. Secondly, the Palestinians test launched a rocket with a sixty kilometer range that could hit the Tel Aviv metropolitan area of the Jewish state. This did not make any impression in the UN General Assembly. There, delegates of the 118 nations of the pro- Arab majority, took the podium to vilify the Jewish state for defending her citizens against Iranian sponsored terrorism. This time they had a new rallying point - what is viewed in Israel as the infamous Goldstone report that alleged that Israel had committed war crimes during the Cast Lead operation to halt eight years of rocketing of Israeli civilians from Gaza. IsraCast joins the dots of the big picture.